Gen Con Indianapolis 2010 Presentation: Cargo Cult Science

In summer 2010 the Skeptical Gamers dropped some science bombs on Gen Con Indianapolis. In Cargo Cult Science, Tom Foss and Don Riefler break down the ways in which pseudoscientists use and abuse the trappings of science to appear legitimate to those who don't know better.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Gen Con
• Indianapolis
• Indy
• 2010
• Gen Con Indianapolis
• cargo cult
• cargo cult science
• science
• anthropology
• skepticism
• critical thinking

[Koolvedge]

Alternative medicine 'is' proven to work, and it is not accepted by the criminals who push the propaganda that the two in the video are parroting. If it works, it is not just considered medicine. Alternatives work, but they are considered alternatives because much of mainstream medicine has been infiltrated by pharmacy. And many pharmaceuticals kill but are still considered 'medicine'. Part of what is said on this video is wrong. Please research with an open mind.

[actionskeptic]

@Koolvedge Oh, my favorite! Unsubstantiated claims and Big Pharma fearmongering! Where is the evidence that alternative "medicine" works? Please provide citations from reliable, peer-reviewed scientific journals. Please name the pharmaceuticals that "kill" that are still on the market. Actually, I'll make it easy: just name some pharmaceuticals that have been reliably demonstrated to do more harm than good and are still on the market. Also, I don't think you know what the word "criminal" means.

[BrandonKinross]

Although I agree that real medicine has methods to catch failures, I don't think we should confuse 'Alternative' with just plain superstitious. Some alternative medicine is stuff that just hasn't gone under the scientific method/microscope to become 'real' medicine, even though its been tested through centuries of cultural use. I think Marijuana is a good example of that. 50 years ago it would be considered alternative medicine, even though its positive effects have been known in cultures awhile

[tfoss1983]

But of course, if your claims of "it works" were true, then it would be trivial for you to provide good evidence to support that claim. You know, the way all real medicine has to, long before it ever reaches your doctor's office or pharmacy shelves.

[tfoss1983]

@Koolvedge What about the ayurvedic treatments that have been found to contain toxic levels of heavy metals? What about chiropractic, which gave Kevin Sorbo (for example) a series of strokes? We can all dredge up examples of places where the systems fail. The difference is that real medicine has methods to catch the failures and stop using them, and to determine what the risks are vs. the actual benefits. Alt-med has no such system, and uses treatments with no proven benefit vs. known risks.

[Koolvedge]

@actionskeptic Obviously your ego is not letting you think freely. I realize that you've been severely conditioned by western scientific programming. Not all modern things are bad, but please try thinking for yourself. Do your research! What about Avandia? It killed people, and when Avandia was on the market was current enough for truth. There are many natural medicinal cures. Do your research, "without your blinders" - And the definition of criminal is what you're doing to your mind